In 2004, Ms. A.Y arrived from Guinea to claim asylum. She alleged to have been detained, tortured and raped by military officers in 2003 due to her political activity in U.F.R party. In May 2005, she moved in with her partner a EU citizen from Netherlands. In 2006, she suffered an miscarriage which ended her pregnancy. On June 4th 2009, Ms. A.Y and her partner registered a civil partnership (PACS)with the intent to get married at a later date.

The French government never transposed the articles 2-2-b) and 3-2-b) of the directive 2004/38/EC in national law (code of migration and asylum). These articles allow registered partner and partner in durable relation with a EU citizen to obtain a 5 years residence card upon registration. The deadline of the transposition of the directive 2004/38/EC was April 30th 2006. On July 25th 2008, the European Court of Justice ruled in case Metock (C-127/08) that any EU citizen’s family member have legal status under the directive 2004/38/EC irrespective of the lawfulness of his entry or stay before becoming a family member (99). The Court added an unlawful stay before becoming a family member can’t be a ground for deportation of the family member (97).

In its observation to the Court, the French government didn’t allege that the personal conduct of Ms. A.Y represents any “threat affecting one of the fundamental interests of society” . But it stated if the applicant is deported to Guinea, the couple could live there.

In its decision of October 11st 2011, the Court found that the deportation order to Guinea was in “accordance with the law“. On the contrary, the deportation order on the ground of “unlawful stay” (art. L511-1 of the code of migration and asylum) was taken in violation of articles 3-2-b) and 27 of the directive 2004/38/EC and the ECJ judgment Metock (C-127/08). The Court added that from May 2005 to April 2009, the couple couldn’t have a “legitimate expectation that right of residence would be granted to the applicant“. On the opposite, the applicant should have a legitimate expectation that the French government will respect the directive 2004/38/EC and the case-law of the European Court of Justice, and acknowledge her right of residence.

But the deportation order has not been canceled or suspended by the French government as there is no provision in the French law that allows to cancel or suspend the deportation order of a suspect in a police investigation. The applicant was represented by Me Bérenger Tourné (Paris).

On July 5th 1950, Mr. Raymond Mis and Mr. Gabriel Thiennot were sentenced to 15 years of hard labor for the murder of an employee of a wealthy landowner. They claimed to have been tortured by military police officers (gendarmes) during 6 days until they signed a written “confession“.

In 1954, the French president pardoned them and they were released from prison. They both served more than 7 years in prison.

When a person has by a final decision been convicted of a criminal offence and when subsequently his conviction has been reversed, or he has been pardoned, on the ground that a new or newly discovered fact shows conclusively that there has been a miscarriage of justice, the person who has suffered punishment as a result of such conviction shall be compensated according to the law or the practice of the State concerned, unless it is proved that the non-disclosure of the unknown fact in time is wholly or partly attributable to him.

The applicants made 5 unsuccessful attempts to have their conviction reversed. Each time, they were not authorized by a commission to bring their case to the supreme court (Cour de cassation) competent under articles 625 and 626 of the code of penal procedure to reverse the conviction and award damages.

From November 25th to 29th 1991, the applicant was tortured at a police station in Bobigny during an investigation on drug trafficking. According to him, he was assaulted physically and sexually with a weapon, and threatened with a syringe and a blowlamp because he was exercising his right to remain silent.

On September 16th 1993, the appeal court of Paris sentenced the applicant to 13 years in jail for drug trafficking. On July 1st 1999, after a lengthy investigation, the appeal court of Versailles sentenced 4 police officers for assault to suspended prison terms, and a 5th one, the leader of the group to 3 months in jail and a 15 months suspended prison term. The maximum sentence for torture is now 20 years in prison according to article 222-3 7° of the penal code and life in prison if perjury was also committed according to article 222-2 of the penal code.

In 2005 and 2009, Amnesty International published reports (EUR 21/001/2005, EUR 21/003/2009) concluding to the “effective impunity of law enforcement officers in case of shootings, deaths in custody or torture and ill-treatment” in France.

Some might argue that the most effective general measure to prevent torture in police custody is the mandatory audio and video recording of police custody facilities including interrogation rooms and the mandatory presence of the suspect’s lawyer during police interrogation.